


Carpe Diem

by mayghaen17



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, College Hermione, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluffshot, Forgiveness, Grieving, Higher Education, Las Vegas, Moving On, Unexpected Romance, Vacation, Widower Draco, dramione - Freeform, elevator magic, unexpected love, what happens in vegas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:21:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24894598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mayghaen17/pseuds/mayghaen17
Summary: One year after Astoria's death, Draco is still trying to get his life back in order. He never would have guessed that the key to feeling like his old self again could be found in Las Vegas. Or that it would come in such familiar packaging.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Hermione Granger
Comments: 6
Kudos: 108





	Carpe Diem

**Author's Note:**

> Eternal love to honeysweetcutie for being the best Alpha I could have ever asked for! / forever unbeta'd
> 
> As always, I have a FB group if you would like to connect with me :) madrose_writing

One year.

One year ago, he had been married with a son on the way.

One year ago, his wife passed away from a blood curse she had kept secret from him, taking their newly conceived child with her.

One year ago, everything had changed.

Draco had grieved for Astoria and his unborn son more than he had grieved for anything before. For nearly the first six months he had refused to leave his bed. The only time he did get up, it was to relieve himself or when his mother ordered the House Elves to throw him in the bath. The only time he ate was when they forced soup or nutrient replacing potions down his throat.

It was his mother's breakdown and admission to St. Mungo's for a short time that finally got him out of the house. When she returned home, he was tempted to go back to his room, but she had begged him to stop hiding. That she was grieving her husband, her daughter-in-law, and her grandson. She couldn't lose her son too.

He didn't dare retreat after that.

When his friends had found out that he had broken out of his shell, they did everything they could to help. They invited him on trips, meals, shopping days; anything and everything they could think of. Slowly, outing by outing, Draco realized that the world would move on without Astoria and their unborn son. That he couldn't wallow in despair forever. It wasn't what Astoria would have wanted for him.

But as the anniversary of her death day approached, Draco felt his new approach to life crumbling. He wanted nothing more than to return to the room he had shared with Astoria and stay there for all eternity. In order to keep him from doing so, Theo and Blaise invited him on a work trip to The States for a few days. The allure to get away from England at that moment had been strong and he agreed immediately.

They surprised him even further by leaving the Wizarding World behind on their trip and staying in Muggle accommodations. They even made him board an airplane. Apparently, it had not been either of their first times and they had neglected to tell him how confined it would make him feel. He had never been so remiss for a broom in his entire life.

Their destination was Las Vegas. A wonderful stretch of road filled with bars, gambling, and women. While the thought of the first one caught his attention, he didn't feel like losing a fortune trying to make more and he wasn't sure he was ready to move on.

But, being the best friends they could be, Blaise and Theo told him they were there for the booze and the fun. That they had been there before and just wanted to take him somewhere he could lose himself and hopefully not drown in misery.

During the first day, they kept it casual, walking around to take in the sights and show him the themes of each hotel. His favorite find was the alcoholic slushies in varying colors and flavors. He had no idea Muggles were so creative and he learned very quickly they loved their booze.

The second day they did indulge in some gambling, but he kept it to a minimum. He had always been good at card games, but he limited himself in how much money he converted for the night. When they were finished with gambling, they took him to a show. He marveled at the way the Muggles were able to pull that off without a lick of magic.

The third day was the roughest. It was the anniversary of Astoria's death. When he woke up, his chest was tight and his stomach was twisted in knots. Had there been any Sleeping Draughts in his room, he would have taken them all and slept off the rest of the trip. As it was, Blaise and Theo were right there to make sure he didn't fall back into his old habits.

The third day was all about drinking.

They hit a buffet for breakfast and plied themselves with mimosas. Lunch was about the same. They gambled a bit throughout the day and Draco made sure that he had a drink in his hand at all times. If he stopped for one second, he would begin to think and if he went down that road, there was absolutely no going back.

With the night well underway, they took him to a rooftop night club. He had never really cared for Muggle music before, but the stuff they played at the clubs was hypnotic. He was sure the alcohol helped as he swayed with it. He was also sure that he looked absolutely ungraceful, but he didn't care.

Late into the night, he lost Theo and Blaise in the mass of grinding bodies and found himself with an empty glass. In a moment of clarity, he stumbled through the masses and ordered a water at the bar. The bartender handed him the water along with a shot of tequila. He looked at the man questioningly, but was told that the woman at the end of the bar had bought it for him.

He looked at the opposite end, but the flashing lights, the darkness of the club, and his drunken eyes didn't allow him to see much. He thought he caught a glimpse of brown hair, but he wasn't sure. Either way, he raised the shot in that general direction, tipped his head in thanks, and downed it immediately. He ordered another and after finishing it and his water, returned to the crowd.

* * *

The rest of the night had passed with a blur. In the moments before he woke, he could really only recall the flashing lights and the slew of faceless women who had rubbed themselves all over him in the name of dancing. His lips tugged into a frown as he felt something rub against his lap and realized it wasn't a memory; it was real.

The more he woke, the more he realized he was in bed with someone. And they were trying to get away from him. He hugged tighter, wanting to hold on to the feeling for as long as he could. He knew it wasn't Astoria, but he hadn't held anyone like this since she passed.

"Malfoy! Let. Go."

His entire body froze and his eyes popped open. The action made him groan at the searing headache that blossomed. He swore and choked as he inhaled hair. With great effort, he was able to turn himself onto his back, throwing an arm over his face to shield his eyes from any light that was in the room.

He felt the bed move and then heard a faucet turn on for a moment. Then a rattling followed by the bed sinking next to him again and a tapping at his arm. "Take these."

He knew that voice.

He moved his arm and tried to see who it was, but his vision refused to focus. Instead, he saw bushy brown hair and lightly tanned skin. The woman pressed something into his palm and nudged it towards his mouth.

"They'll help with the headache. Takes a minute to kick in. I'll order room service. That glass better be empty when the food comes."

He grunted at her bossy tone as she moved off the bed again and he heard more noise. Wherever she had moved to, she was close. He fingered the objects in his hand and put them in his mouth. They tasted foul and bitter so he washed them down with the water without chewing and then proceeded to sip at the glass until it was all gone.

Her voice had faded to the background and after a click of something, he heard a door shut quietly. He sensed he was alone and tried to open his eyes again. This time, he did it slowly and focused only on the ceiling. When he felt as though he could move without vomiting, he pushed himself up and took a look around the room.

They were in a hotel, that much he knew for sure, but it wasn't his room. Whoever the woman was, she had taken him to her room that night. He swallowed tight and looked down at himself. His button-down shirt was open, but still on; as were his boxers. Either he had redressed at some point or nothing had happened.

He swallowed hard and carded a hand through his disheveled hair. He hoped it was the latter because the idea of being with anyone else was making him panic. It was too soon. He wasn't ready. He brought his knees up and rested his elbows on them. He leaned forward and rested his head in his hands, the heals of his palms pressing into his eyes as he forced his breathing to calm.

He heard the door open and froze, but didn't look up. She didn't say anything, but he heard her take the glass from the nightstand refill it in the bathroom he presumed she had gone into. She placed it down on the nightstand again and then touched his shoulder gently.

He took a deep breath and braved a look up at her. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped at the sight of Granger in a T-shirt and lounging shorts. Her hair had been pulled into a messy bun and she was staring at him with her arms folded over her chest, making the shirt ride up over her midriff slightly.

Panic coursed through him once again as he looked around the room to see various articles of clothing around the room; both his _and_ hers.

She rolled her eyes when his gaze met hers again. "Relax, Malfoy. We didn't shag."

Draco did relax immediately and brought the sheet up around his waist. He gave her a sheepish nod and reached for his water, slumping back against the headboard as he nursed it. "So…why am I in your hotel room then?"

"Because your friends abandoned you in your very drunk state to get laid," she said, her voice filled with annoyance. "And you were a right mess. I couldn't just leave you."

He watched her as she picked up his pants and socks before laying them neatly on the edge of the bed. "And I'm just supposed to believe that the Golden Girl would rescue me from myself?"

"I was fully prepared to leave, but then you fell down trying to order another drink." He frowned at the pity in her eyes. "The bouncers kicked you out and I followed to make sure you didn't use magic accidentally. You started wandering aimlessly down the street so I took my chances in approaching you, but you didn't recognize me. I asked you where your hotel was so I could take you back; I highly doubted that Zabini or Nott had a cell phone or that you would even know how to call them if they did."

He tried to remember any of this, but none of it came back to him. The last thing he could remember was getting a shot and heading back into the crowd. "You bought me the shot."

She nodded and knelt at the foot of the bed to rummage through her suitcase there. "I hadn't realized how pissed you were at that point or I would've sent you something virgin," she said with a smirk.

His nose scrunched at her words. "Why would you send me a virgin?"

She looked up at him and laughed. "It's what Muggles refer to as non-alcoholic drinks. Especially those that really only should be consumed with alcohol in them. Really popular with those that are underage or if you're pregnant."

He snorted and watched as she laid out her own change of clothes for the day near his. "So you brought me here?"

"Well I wasn't going to leave you on the street," she replied, placing one hand on her hip, the other tucking curls behind her ear.

"And we didn't have sex," he stated.

She bit her lip in attempt to hide a smile, but failed miserably. He shifted uncomfortably. "Not for your lack of trying. I Apparated us back here because if you had tried, you would have Splinched. You took my hand on your arm as permission to feel me up."

He cleared his throat and closed his eyes. There was a glimpse of memory returning to him. He vaguely recalled them landing in her hotel room and him gathering her into his arms. He remembered the way he had squeezed her rear while she pushed him away. He distinctly remember her laughing through the whole ordeal. Drunkenly, he had fallen back on the bed and when she tried to help him undress, he had pulled her into the bed and refused to let her go.

"You passed out pretty quickly after wrapping around me like the goddamn snake that you are," she said. He was glad her tone was playful and he looked at her to see she was smiling softly at him.

"Well, thank you for not taking advantage of me, Granger."

She rolled her eyes and then made her way to the door when someone knocked. On the other side was a man with a cart full of covered food trays. She tipped him and then pulled the cart into the room. The smell of food reminded him that he was hungry while simultaneously sickening him all over again.

"Do you remember what hotel you're staying at?" she asked.

"No," he replied remorsefully.

She nodded. "Let's eat and then we can take showers before we head out. I have to make a quick stop somewhere and then I'll help you track them down."

"What are you even doing here?" he asked.

"I'm studying genetics at Harvard and we're just here for the long weekend."

Draco stared at her for a moment, trying to process what she said, but came up short. "It's like you're speaking a foreign language."

She chuckled and loaded up a plate for herself. "Basically, I'm in school and some of my friends and I are on holiday."

" _More_ school?" he asked. "Merlin, you haven't changed at all."

She rolled her eyes. "I think the Wizarding World would benefit from a higher level of education after-"

He groaned loudly and glared at her. "I am far too hungover to listen to you ramble on about school. That is the opposite of what Theo and Blaise dragged me out here to do."

"You asked."

"Not for a lecture."

She sighed heavily, but said nothing as she tucked into her breakfast. He was grateful that she didn't ask what he was doing there; he wasn't sure he would be able to hold himself together. It was hard enough trying to wrap his mind around the fact that he had spent the night drunkenly cuddled up against Granger of all people and now eating breakfast with her.

"What was it that you gave me?"

"Muggle medicine. Helps with hangovers."

"And why don't you have Sober-Up like a proper witch?"

She rolled her eyes again over her cup of coffee before she answered. "Because with my enchantments, they're better than that ancient potion." Her brow shot up as she inspected him. "Do you really think, even with Sober-Up, you'd be able to hold any of that down?" she asked, pointing to his plate.

"No," he replied and smiled sheepishly. "Well, thank you."

She nodded as a reply. They finished eating in silence and when they were done, she took his plate and stacked the dishes neatly on the cart. "You can take a shower first," she said, handing him her wand. "You didn't have yours on you so you can use mine to freshen them up."

"Thanks," he said, clearing his throat as he pulled the sheet off of him without a second thought. He paused for a second, remembering he was only in boxers and his open shirt. That memory was quickly followed by the fact that she had already seen him in this state of undress and had slept next to him as such. She was even keeping her eyes busy on a small device in her hands. "Why did you buy me the shot?"

She looked up at him, her gaze taking its time to travel up the chiseled planes of his chest first. She smiled softly and there was that same pity in her eyes again. "Because I know what day it was yesterday," she replied. "I'm sorry for your loss."

He cleared his throat and tore his gaze away from hers. "Thank you," he said, slipping into the bathroom before his grief could overwhelm him in front of her.

* * *

While whatever Granger had given him had significantly reduced his headache, the bright light of the sun when they left her hotel was still excruciating. At the very least, he was glad that whatever quick stop she had to make was only a few hotels down from hers. He had never been so happy to get out of the sun before.

"Why does this city have so many variations of the same place?" he asked, taking in the pink and black interior as opposed to the white and purple of where they had come from.

"All gimmicks," she replied. "And no one really cares where they get pissed."

"True," he said, remembering last night.

She waved at a small group a few machines down and then stopped to look at him. "My friends are Muggles, so behave."

He snorted which earned him a glare. "I know how to be sociable, thank you very much. People _do_ like me, Granger."

"Yes, I remember how pleasant you were when you were toting your superior blood and upbringing over me for six years straight."

Her tone may have been bored, but he saw the bitterness in her eyes before she looked away. He reached for her and kept her from walking away by circling his fingers around her wrist. "I don't think that way anymore, Granger. I'm sorry that I ever did."

Her eyes widened slightly. Clearly she hadn't been expecting an apology from him. That made two of them. She nodded slowly and he let go of her. "Thank you, Malfoy."

"Draco," he corrected. "I think cuddling through the night constitutes the use of first names, don't you?"

She laughed and he found himself smiling at the sound. "Alright, _Draco_ ," she said as she led him away.

He regretted immediately instigating a first name basis with her. There was something that felt so right and so, so _bad_ in the sound of his name from her lips. He swallowed hard as he followed after her towards her friends.

She hugged a blonde girl, then a blonde girl with shorter hair, and a raven-haired man from the side where he sat at one of the machines. The first blonde eyed Draco up and down before turning a giddy look at Granger. "I'd be late too if I had that in my bed all night."

She smacked the girl on the arm and shook her head. Draco stared at the blonde in disbelief; he was standing right there. Could hear her. "This is Draco," she said, rekindling that strange feeling at hearing his name from her. "Draco, this is Julia. Feel free to ignore her." She pointed to the blonde with shorter hair. "That's Carly and," pointing to the man, "Jack."

He inclined his head at all of them. Carly and Jack mumbled their hellos, but Julia was still grinning at him. "Nice to meet you."

"Oh, he's British like you," Julia said, biting her lip. "Must be made for each other to find someone from home in this place."

Granger shot her a warning look and the other girl only smiled wider. "Are you coming with us to the conference?" Carly asked, finally looking up at him.

"Conference?" he asked, smirking at Granger. "I thought you were on Holiday?"

"We are," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "But that doesn't mean we can't expand our-"

"You're such a swot."

She huffed at him and turned towards Carly. "I was coming to say that I might not make it."

"You know you didn't have to get out of bed to tell us that," Julia said with a laugh. "I sure wouldn't have."

"Will you stop?" Granger snapped at her, making the other girl jump. She softened up a moment later and sighed again.

"Where are you going?" Jack asked, sliding out of his seat at the machine. Carly took his place and Julia moved to the other side to watch.

The way Granger looked from Draco to Jack made him think there was much more to this question. Something that was amplified when she excused the two of them and they moved out of earshot. But he could see how close they stood to one another and the barely there touch of Granger's hand on Jack's arm.

"What's their story?" he asked Julia when he caught her shooting him a sympathetic look.

"Depends," Julia replied. "What's _your_ story?"

He stared at Granger again and then looked back at her friend, his hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck awkwardly. "We used to go to school together."

"Ah, old friends then?"

He hesitated a moment. "Yeah. Sure."

"Jack's just a friend too," Julia replied. "At least that's all they'll admit to."

Carly turned to give Julia a warning look to which the blonde just rolled her eyes. "But they have separate rooms?"

It was Carly that snorted. "She likes her privacy," she said, looking at Julia again. "Something you should know better and you," she started, turning to Draco, "should respect if you know her. If you have questions about her and Jack, ask her yourself."

For the first time in his life, he missed Potter and Weasley. At least he could understand why they would act that way to him. She was just lucky he had left his wand in his room. Otherwise he would be very tempted to hex her.

Before he could figure out how to hex her properly with wandless magic, Granger and Jack returned to the group. "I'll see you guys later," she said, hugging Julia and then Carly. Then she turned to him and cocked her head. "Draco."

They had made it two steps outside the casino floor before he blocked her path. "So you and Jack are…?"

She rolled her eyes. "None of your business."

"It is my business when I spend the night with a woman and she's seeing someone. Why weren't you sharing a room?"

"You know, the faster we find Nott and Zabini, the better."

"What, you're not enjoying my company?"

"Currently?" she questioned. "No."

A smirk tugged at the corners of his lips. "You're not Slytherin enough to deflect the conversation."

"I don't share a room with anyone," she said, practically stomping her foot in protest. "Especially not Muggles."

"Why not?"

Her eyes widened and she put one hand on her hip, giving him that stare he hadn't seen since the day she and Potter had defended him in court. Merlin, he missed riling her up.

"Because on the occasion I have a night terror, I would prefer not to hurt anyone with an accidental outburst," she said, sobering him up instantly. "Do you recognize any of the hotels around here?" she asked, her tone basically the same, but a touch more clipped than usual.

Draco stared at her for another moment and then looked away to take in the strip around them. "Everything looks different in the daylight. It's hard to tell."

She nodded. "Did you just get in last night?"

He hesitated. "Last night was our third night."

The look she gave him was one that he had only ever seen her turn on Weasley when he said something to make him dumber than a Troll. He had always found the look amusing, but now that it was being turned on him, Draco scowled back at her.

"I had Theo and Blaise with me. I didn't need to know where I was staying. And excuse me if this is the most sober I've been since I stepped foot off that bloody flying contraption."

The corners of her eyes wrinkled as she suppressed the urge to laugh. " _You_ took a plane?"

"And I will be taking one back to the Ministry in New York when it's time for us to return."

"Now there's something I never thought I would see."

"You haven't seen," he reminded her. "And you won't, since you're not on our flight."

She nodded and then took to looking around the strip. "Well, why don't we retrace our steps then? We were in the club at Mandalay Bay. We can start there. Maybe we can at least find your wand."

He shook his head. "I left my wand in my room. Theo and Blaise thought it best."

"Yes, clearly they know everything." Her tone was dry and heavy on the sarcasm.

"I can find them without you, you know."

"Can you?" she questioned. "Because I would wager you'd last ten minutes before you break down. I bet you can't do anything without the assistance of your House Elves."

He didn't reply and in the moment it took him to calm his breaths, he realized they were standing practically nose-to-nose with their hands balled into fists at their sides. He swallowed and stepped back, raking a hand through his hair again.

"I'm not going to say you're right, but I could use your help, _Hermione_."

Her eyes widened and he saw something flash in them a moment before she stepped back and dropped her gaze from his. "Alright, _Draco_. I will continue to help you."

"Thank you."

She inclined her head. "Are you sure you don't recognize anything?" she asked to which he shook his head, but continued scanning the crowd. "Alright, well, when you guys left your room, did you catch a cab to take you to the strip or did you just walk out on to it?"

"The strip?"

She blinked, probably resisting the urge to roll her eyes again. Slowly, she spread her arms out at the road in front of them. "The strip. This is the main area of Vegas. There are a few hotels off the main path and usually people take a cab or they put up with a walk."

"No cab and the walk was pretty short."

"Alright," she said, no doubt making a tic on her mental checklist. "And what about when you walked outside? Were there an equal number of hotels on each side or did you see more on one than on the other?"

"Couldn't really tell," he admitted. "Might have been center strip."

"Any color schemes that you recall? Or maybe some themes?"

"Old world, maybe?"

She nodded rapidly and sized up the stretch of road they were on. "Like Greek or Roman?" she clarified and he nodded. "That narrows it down, actually. Your rooms, were they individual like mine or did you have a ridiculous suite of rooms?"

He snorted. "As if I would slum it like you. I remember the ride in that lift going pretty high. Could have been a penthouse."

"I still say we go to Mandalay Bay and give the employees my cell number. That way if Theo or Blaise come to look for you there, they'll have a way to get ahold of me. Assuming they know how to use a phone."

"I would imagine they do. They both spend a lot of time around Muggles in their lines of work."

"Good," she said and led the way.

"How much walking do you suppose we're going to have to do today?" he asked, already wishing he had never woken up.

"As much as it takes," she said. "Should have thought about that before you left your wand in your room and didn't think to learn the name of your hotel."

"Trust me, when I see it again, I will never forget the name," he promised.

* * *

It had taken a few hours to stop by the club she had found him at the night before, leave her number, and then stop at a few other hotels all over the strip. One of the members of concierge had recognized him, but since his name wasn't on the reservation, he couldn't get a key. Instead, they had left a note for Theo and Blaise. Hermione had supplied her cell number as well as the name of her hotel and which room she was staying in.

After getting gelato from a little shop inside the hotel, they sat outside of it in front of the water feature to eat their treat. "So now what?" he asked.

"I know the conference is out of the question-"

"Absolutely."

"So we can just walk around," she finished, rolling her eyes at him. "If we still haven't found them by the time I'm ready to call it a night, then you can come back to my room again."

He shot her a look and she shrugged.

"Would you rather I tell you you're on your own and make you sleep on the street?"

"No."

"Alright then," she said and licked her lips of some of her gelato she had missed getting into her mouth. He watched the action intensely and when she caught him staring, he cleared his throat and moved his gaze back to the water. "When were you supposed to return to New York?"

"The day after tomorrow."

She made a noise and toyed with her little plastic spoon. "If they don't find us by tomorrow morning, I'll help you make arrangements to portkey back home."

"Why don't we just send them an owl?" he asked, wondering why neither of them had thought of that before.

"Owls are restricted here. Too many Muggles," she replied easily.

"When are you scheduled to go back to…wherever you came from?"

"Harvard. Massachusetts. Another state. It's near New York," she explained, adding each one when he continued to stare at her blankly. "And since last night was Friday and we'd just arrived, we were going to head back tomorrow. It was a short trip. But if we can't find them, I'll adjust my flight and we'll go back to New York together. There's no class on Monday so that helps."

"Were your friends at the club with you last night?"

"By the time we got there, you were already by yourself. They stayed for two drinks and then wanted to move on to the next place, but you were being thrown out by then, so I told them I just needed some fresh air and would see them in the morning."

"Have you been here before?"

She nodded. "Not a lot, mostly for conferences."

He rolled his eyes. "Of _course_."

"If you're up for it, there's a few things I've been wanting to check out."

"Is it going to involve food?" he asked, taking a large spoonful of gelato into his mouth.

She hummed in response and finished off the rest of hers. "We can grab something on the way."

As they tossed their containers into the nearest bin, she led the way again to whatever it was she was dragging him along to do. And as they went, a small part of him hoped that Theo and Blaise were dead somewhere so they couldn't interrupt their time together.

* * *

To Draco's utter delight, Hermione hadn't put up too much of a fight when he asked to find more of the slushies. She even got one for herself and offered him a taste of the flavors she'd chosen. Drinks in hand, they took their time getting to whatever it was she wanted to do, stopping a few times here and there as they went.

It turned out what she wanted was at the hotel called The Mirage. There was an exhibit there that housed dolphins and lions. They spent a great deal of time between the two, all the while talking amongst themselves as if they had been friends their entire life; not enemies.

By the time they took their leave of the place and set about to walk the strip again, Draco had come to learn a fair bit about Hermione. He learned that she was researching something that would help her understand how some Muggles were born with magic and some were not. She explained it a great deal and it was one of the few times Draco had ever felt so dumb. She had definitely deserved to top him in nearly every subject.

He had asked to go back to the Venetian and they walked around the shops there. It was when he saw the gondolas in the middle of the space that he stopped short. She led him out of the way and watched him curiously.

"Have you been on these before?" she asked, her voice soft.

"Astoria and I went to Italy for our Honeymoon. One of our destinations was in Venice," he said, feeling that pang in his heart as he thought of his late wife. His lips quirked into a smile as he thought back to the day. "I didn't want to and I refused her at every turn, but she wore me down."

"Not an easy feat," Granger muttered teasingly.

"No, but when you put someone destined for Slytherin into Ravenclaw, the level of cunning is like no other," he replied.

Hermione looked at the gondolas and then back up at him. "Do you want to take a ride?"

He swallowed hard. It would be a way to feel closer to Astoria, something he hadn't been able to achieve since her passing. He hadn't allowed himself to either. He looked at her. "Will you go on with me?"

A smirk took hold of is lips as he saw the momentary panic in her eyes and the way she gulped. "If you want me to go with you."

"I want you to go with me."

She closed her eyes for a moment and forced a smile to her lips. "Then let's go."

"What, you don't like them? They were fun, you know. After the initial rocking back and-"

"Please stop," she said, looking queasy.

That caught him by surprise and he tipped his head to the side. "You alright, Hermione?"

She nodded. "There's a condition Muggles call motion sickness and I have it. Stuff like the gondolas, planes; anything that isn't my own two feet can make me sick at the drop of a hat. It's why I never wanted to be on a broom."

"All this time I thought it was because you _had_ to suck at something."

She swat at his arm and they both laughed. "Come on, let's go."

They had to wait in a small line before one became available to them. He stepped into the boat first and then turned to help her. Her hand was shaking when it slid into his and she second guessed her footing, making her pitch forward a bit. He caught her by looping an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him until they were steady. She pulled away quickly, clearing her throat and straightening her clothes before taking her seat in front of the gondolier.

Just like the ones in Italy, the man began to sing and he recognized the tune as _Bella Notte_. A little cliché, but one he would secretly indulge in from time to time. Taking a risk, he looked at Granger and caught her gaze. "You alright?"

She nodded, tucking curls behind her ears. "Yes, thanks for not letting me fall."

"Remember that when you feel like getting sick," he teased.

She laughed and shook her head at him. "We'll see." She turned her head and stared out at the people as they slowly floated by. "This song always makes me want spaghetti and meatballs."

He did a double take at her before he dissolved into laughter. "That's awfully stereotypical of you, Hermione."

She looked back at him and rolled her eyes. "I know you haven't seen it and probably never will, but they use this song in the movie Lady and the Tramp."

His eyes went wide and she laughed, shaking her head. "What kind of movies do you watch?" he asked, his brow quirked in curiosity.

She smacked him again, lighter this time. "It's a kids movie. It's animated and the main characters are dogs. He's a stray and she comes from a well off family. They fall in love and their first kiss is over a plate of spaghetti when they slurp up the same noodle." Her cheeks turned a glorious shade of scarlet and she turned away with a shrug. "Anyway, that's what we're getting for dinner."

He had wanted to get on the gondola to feel closer to his late wife. Since stepping onto the little boat, all he had been able to think about was Hermione. Now all he was thinking about was sharing a plate of spaghetti and meeting her in the middle for a-

There was no way in hell Draco was getting pasta for dinner.

When the song changed, Hermione relaxed, sagging back against the seat. "Do you want to talk about her?" she asked.

Draco didn't want to speak at all, but he found himself doing it anyway. "She was so inquisitive. She was always wanting to try new things and make sure that we saw and did everything." He smiled fondly at the memories of their short time together. "I guess she always knew about the blood curse so it makes sense she didn't want to waste a moment of her life."

She surprised him by reaching out and placing her hand over his. However, there was no hesitation when he squeezed it, needing all the comfort he could get. "I can't imagine going through that kind of loss, Draco."

"I hope you never do," he replied, his voice light.

They were silent for the rest of the ride and he was strangely happy that she never removed her hand from his.

He helped her out of the gondola once they reached the end of the ride and she tipped the gondolier heavily. He turned to face her once they were on solid ground again. "Thank you for riding that with me."

"Thanks for making me do it," she returned, smiling up at him. "I actually don't feel all that bad."

They stared at each other for a moment and he found his eyes flickering down to her lips. When he snapped his gaze back up to hers, he found that hers were focused on his lips. They both cleared their throats and looked away. Not a moment later, a jingle sounded from her pocket and she sought the device immediately.

"Theo or Blaise?" he questioned.

She shook her head. "No, Carly. She's asking if I'm meeting up with them for dinner and that if you're still with me, to bring you along."

While was annoyed that his friends hadn't tried finding him, he was not at all disappointed by the prospect of spending more time with Hermione.

"I'll agree to spend more time with them if you tell me what your deal with Jack is."

She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering softly under her breath. "Didn't we have this discussion earlier?"

"I'm still waiting for an answer."

"Why does it matter to you?" she asked, staring up at him with fire in her eyes.

It shouldn't. They both knew that. But it did.

"Because if my idiot friends still haven't come to claim me, I want to know if there's going to be some Muggle man trying to piss all over the bed I'm sleeping in to tell me that it's his."

Her jaw ticked and he realized he might have gone a tad too far. He hadn't seen that look since Hogwarts and he was sure he was in for an old-fashioned Hermione Granger tirade. He braced himself, but when she opened her mouth to speak, she gave him a real answer. Begrudging as it may have been. "We are just friends. We have…an arrangement, but we're not attached. I'm not, at least."

"So he wasn't shooting me jealous, threatening looks when he took you aside to talk to you?"

She sighed. "He probably was. He's made it clear that he wants more and I keep pushing him away." She narrowed her eyes at him and tilted her chin. "Either way, there will be no pissing and that's all I'm willing to say in regards to this."

"Have you been serious about anyone since-"

"No," she answered hurriedly and dropped her gaze. "And I don't want to talk about Ron so please don't bring him up."

He nodded and dropped the subject. He still wasn't completely sure why he had even asked her, much less why he even found himself caring about the answer. "When did they want to meet?" he asked.

"Soon. They want to eat at the buffet in-"

"Is the obsession with buffets a Muggle thing or is it because they're American?" he whined.

"What's wrong with buffets?"

His lip curled in disgust, but he resisted the strong urge to cringe. "Strangers touching everything. You don't even know if they've got clean hands." He did cringe then. "I'm sorry, but I would much prefer if my food was handled by the least amount of people necessary before it's brought to me."

"How Pureblood of you," she replied dryly, although she smiled and shook her head. "Do you have any suggestions, _Princess_?" she mocked.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "You know I don't know the name of any of these bloody restaurants, Granger. Just… Anything other than a buffet."

She bit her lip to stifle a laugh and then nodded her head. "Alright, let me tell them." She tapped away at the device she called a cell phone, paused to wait for another chime, nodded again, and slid it back into her pocket. "We're meeting them at Treasure Island."

"That's the pirate one?" She nodded and he stepped aside, gesturing for her to lead the way. "Please tell me you didn't swap buffet for one of those dinner theatre things," he said after a moment.

She only turned her head and grinned at him, giving a slight shrug of her shoulders. "You'll just have to wait and see," she teased.

* * *

Draco was grateful to find that it was not a dinner theatre either. They had eaten at a normal restaurant. One where he was able to relax in his seat next to Hermione, order his food and drinks with one waitress, and not a single patron touched anything in their space. The only person he allowed to touch anything was Hermione as she shared her drink choices with him as well.

To the best of his ability, he ignored the looks Jack was shooting at him and Hermione both, but a part of him wanted to be smug about it. The only sobering thought was that Hermione was barely his friend. She was only being nice to him out of pity at the moment since his friends had abandoned him in his time of need.

But after spending a large portion of the evening with her friends, she bid them goodnight and led Draco away from them. The sun had set when they stepped back out onto the strip and Draco paused to take in the sights around him. As garish as some of them could be, he quite liked the strip when it was all lit up like this.

"Are we going back to your room soon?" he asked.

The look she gave him made his face hot and she laughed when his eyes widened with panic. He was glad she hadn't taken it suggestively, but he was also a bit affronted that she dismissed him rather easily. "I've been meaning to catch some of the shows. We can watch a couple and then head back."

"Shows?" he questioned, thankful she didn't comment on his blunder. "Like the ones you have to pay in advance for or the volcano thing?"

"The volcano thing," she replied. "Which I believe is the Mirage."

He smiled and then looked at the pirate ship they had stopped by. "Is this thing one of the shows?"

She nodded. "One of the most popular. We can see that one too," she said, moving to stand in front of a pole that had a list of times on it. She pulled out her phone, held it up, did something, and then put it back.

"What did you do?" he asked.

"I took a picture."

"With your phone?"

She laughed and held out the device to him. "Muggle technology is very advanced. The phone can do quite a lot of things. There's a camera built inside of it. Here," she said, pulling him to her side. She stretched out her arm and pointed the camera towards them. "Smile!" she sang and he did.

When she brought her arm down, she showed him the screen again and he stared down at the still image of the two of them in front of the pirate ship. Or rather, a small portion as it was so close range. He blinked, not knowing how to feel about the small flutter in his stomach at the way she had leaned into him ever so slightly. Not to mention the way her eyes lit up and the genuine smile on her face; even if it was _him_ that she was standing next to.

He swallowed hard and looked up at her, a barely there smile on his lips. "Good shot."

"I'd send it to you, but you don't have a phone," she said, putting it in her pocket and leading him down the path.

"Even if I did, it would never work at the Manor. I know that much about Muggle devices at least; they don't work around that much magic."

"You still live there?"

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked, glancing her way. "The only ones to leave their homes are women after they're married."

She snorted. "Why are Pureblood ideals so behind the times? Maybe that's why the lot of you are whiny and stuck up. You're always at home for Mummy to coddle you."

He chuckled at the fact that she was so irritated. "Why would I ever go anywhere else? Sometimes I forget I'm not the only one living there. It's quite massive. You saw how big it was."

He regretted the words the moment they were out. They both stopped mid-step causing other pedestrians to bump into them and mutter their displeasure under their breath as they passed.

Hermione kept her eyes down and she worried at her bottom lip. "Well, I really only saw one room in particular, but yes. You're right. It was rather large."

"That was a horrible thing for me to say, Hermione. I'm sorry. I would take it all back if I could. The words; the day… All of it."

She looked up at him then and he could see she was struggling to hold back her emotions. Instead, she forced a smile and continued to walk again. "It's fine."

"You should see the library," he heard himself say, wishing he could die right on the spot afterwards.

She didn't stop, but he saw her stiffen before sliding a curious glance his way, only to shift it away a moment later. "It's about to start," she said, pointing ahead.

He was glad to let the subject drop and reached down to grab her hand. She took it, twining her fingers with his right away and let him shoulder the way through the crowd until he was able to get her right to the railing so she could see. And he kept himself at her back, trying not to enjoy himself too much as the crowd behind him kept making him rub against her.

And as he repeatedly found himself in that position through the night as they watched a few shows, he found himself hoping Theo and Blaise were alive so that he didn't have to spend the night with her. He was afraid of what he might do when they were finally alone and the fact that those thoughts were something that even crossed his mind was driving him absolutely mad.

* * *

Draco glared at Hermione as she held up another garish garment; this one even more blinding than the last. Which he hadn't thought was possible. "There has to be a place around here that sells something less…horrific," he complained.

"Several, actually," she replied, putting the shirt back and sifting through hangers for another one.

"Then why are we _here_?"

"First of all, you were the one that said you wanted new clothes since your idiot friends have yet to call me. Secondly, this place was the closest and…" she paused to smirk, grabbing an even worse option than the first two. "Thirdly, I would never pass up the opportunity to see the great Draco Malfoy in tourist clothes from The Flamingo."

He glared at her, thinking of all the ways he could make her pay for this. "But-"

"And I'm paying, so if you want to change, you'll have to meet me halfway."

"Halfway?" he cried. "To what, the insane asylum?"

She held up a bright pink shirt with a black flamingo on it as well as the hotel's emblem. "It's either this or I transfigure something of mine and rest assured, _Draco_ , I will make it a true Gryffindor getup."

Knowing that she wasn't bluffing in the slightest, he turned away from her, muttering curses and grabbed the least despicable items he could find. "There, happy?"

"You need to try them on and make sure they fit," she demanded.

"You can just transfigure them if they don't."

"You're right, I can adjust the color too while I'm at it."

They stared at each other; him glaring and her laughing brightly.

"Dressing rooms are behind you," she sang and gave him a gently push backwards. "Oh, don't forget these," she said, grabbing boxers sporting the hotel logo as well and adding it to what he had slung over his arm already.

"I'm not trying on boxers, Granger."

"You're not going commando tonight, so yes, yes you are," she said, shoving him into the little stall and yanking the curtains closed.

He moved his lips to mimic her, but made sure to keep it silent. He hung the hangers on the little hook on the wall and undressed completely. He did a double take at the boxers and wondered if she had just had been lucky with what she had grabbed or made an educated guess, but they were the right size. He removed the tags and put them on; he was wearing these out regardless. At least he could hide the emblem on them.

After that, he pulled on the dark grey long shorts with several pockets. There was a small pink flamingo near the bottom of the right leg at his knee, but it wasn't easy to see. He could live with that. Then there was the matter of the shirt. The least hideous garment he could find had been a black T-shirt with the pink flamingo in the center. He frowned at himself and swore that when he saw his friends next, he would hex them into the next week for reducing him to this point in his life.

"Come on," Hermione said from outside the curtain. "Let's see."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before slowly pulling the curtain back. When he opened them, it took him a moment to realize that she had her phone up in the air and was grinning stupidly at it. His eyes narrowed and he lunged forward to smack her hand. "Hey! There will be no photographic evidence!"

"Too late!" she laughed, dodging his attempts to get the phone; which she effectively ended by shoving the device into her bra beneath her shirt. He stared at her for a moment, debating on reaching for it anyway. She smirked when she realized he was backing down from the challenge.

In his indecision, he didn't realize what else she was doing as she stepped closer to him. He straightened up, dropped his eyes to her lips when her tongue came out to wet them, and then- His eyes went wide and he took a few steps back from her, looking at her hand as she held up two tags. "You are a _horrible_ person, Granger," he said, holding up the tag to his boxers.

She took it and the look on her face turned smug. "I'll pay for these, you get your other clothes."

As they were leaving the store a few minutes later, she placed his old clothes in the shopping bag they had asked the clerk for and handed it to him to carry. He was glad that her hotel was next door so he wouldn't have to look like a spokesperson for The Flamingo for very long. They continued their banter the entire way and when they stopped to wait for the lift, he realized this was the first time he had felt like himself in a very long time.

He realized he had fallen silent and was simply staring at her when she tipped her head to the side and studied him right back. "Thank you," he said.

She grinned and reached out to touch his shirt. His heart skipped a beat at the momentary brush of her fingers on his chest. "Oh no, thank _you_ ," she said. "I'll be savoring this image for a _very_ long time."

He sighed. "Yes, yes. Laugh all you want," he teased. "But I mean it, Hermione. Thank you for last night and thank you for today."

"You're welcome," she said and the doors to the lift opened.

It emptied and they stepped on. A few others came in as well. When the doors closed and they began to ascend, they took turns staring at one another from the corners of their eyes, but always catching the other and shifting their gazes away. The ascent to their floor seemed to take ages as people not only exited to their own floors, but other people boarded.

When they were finally alone, they turned towards each other at the same time. "Draco-" she said at the same time he said, "Hermione-"

He wasn't sure who moved first, but by the time their names had been spoken, they were in each other's arms and their mouths were crushed together. He dropped the bag as he pushed her back so that she was pressed between him and the wall of the lift. His tongue swiped at the seam of her lips and they parted instantly, her tongue darting out right away to greet his.

They lost themselves as they tasted and explored everything the other had to offer. His hands had come up to her ribs at first and by the time they had slid down to her hips, she bucked them towards his; the action making him harder than he had ever been before. She had one arm around his shoulders while the other had fisted his shirt to keep him closer.

The lift doors open and he drew his lips from hers instantly. They both looked up sheepishly as a man boarded. He barely gave them a glance before pressing for two floors up, one under Hermione's. Hermione loosened her grip on his shirt and slowly slid her arm from his shoulders, but didn't try to slip out from between him and the wall. Instead, they just continued to stare at each other.

The moment the man was gone and the lift began to ascend again, she spoke first. "Draco, this-"

"Let me go first," he pleaded and she nodded. "Hermione, I've never-"

"Draco?" came a familiar voice as the lift doors opened again.

" _Granger?"_ another asked.

They sprang apart and he whirled around to see Blaise and Theo holding the door open, shock on both their faces.

"How long have you been waiting here?" Draco asked, stepping out of the lift. Hermione followed silently behind him. "We spent a lot of time looking for you."

Blaise glanced over his shoulder at Hermione and smirked at him. "Yes, we can see that."

He scowled as they stopped outside Hermione's door. She smiled politely at Blaise and Theo, but refused to look at him. "Next time, make sure he knows about his surroundings before you abandon him in a strange place." His friends exchanged a glance at her scold. "Despite what the Prophet is inclined to print, I will _not_ always be there to save the day."

He was staring at Hermione, hoping that she would look his way, but she was too stubborn to do such a thing. "We were shit friends last night, Mate," Theo said to him and then turned to Hermione again. "Hopefully he didn't disturb you too much, Granger."

"Would you like to join us for a drink before we take him back?" Blaise asked.

"No, thank you. I've got a flight to catch early tomorrow," she said turning to slide the key card into the lock. When it was open, she turned in the doorway and smiled at them again. "It was nice to see you again. Goodnight, gentlemen."

Just before she closed the door, her eyes flickered to his and he saw the emotional storm that she was trying to keep inside.

He stared at the door a few moments longer before looking at Blaise and Theo, raking a hand through his hair. "You two are the worst friends. How could you leave me by myself? And last night of all nights?" he snapped, turning back towards the lift.

"I came back about forty-five minutes later," Blaise said with a shrug. "But you were already gone. Bartender said you got thrown out. We looked for you, but you were gone."

Draco snorted and pressed the button to call the lift. It opened right away and a moment later, they were on the way down to the lobby. It was a very long ride, filled with unsettling silence and tension. After a few strides towards the main doors of the casino floor, he realized Blaise and Theo and stopped just outside the lift. He turned and went back to them.

"What are you doing down here, Draco?" Theo asked.

"The two of you are taking me back to our hotel," he answered haughtily.

"So that's it?" Blaise questioned. "You're just going to leave Granger hanging up there?"

He glared at his friend, not sure how to respond.

"We know what we saw, Draco, and I haven't seen you this distraught since…" Theo waved his hand in front of him and gave him a tight-lipped smile.

"You can tell us all about it later, Draco. Just go get the girl before she hexes us for cockblocking," Blaise stated.

Draco's eyes drifted up towards the ceiling and then back at his friends. If he had had his wand, that's exactly what he would be doing. "I can't. I want to, but… I'm not-"

"Astoria wouldn't want you to wait around and mourn her forever, Mate," Theo said, reaching up to squeeze his shoulder lightly.

"Even if it's Granger," Blaise added.

They all smirked.

"Bring my stuff back with you, yeah?" he asked them, to which they promptly nodded.

Theo handed him his wand, having thought Draco would be relieved to have it when they found him, and Blaise called for the lift again. They waved as the doors closed and Draco nodded back. The entire way up he was filled with more nerves than he thought he possessed and even after he stepped off the lift again, he found himself pacing and mumbling to himself in front of her room.

Before he could lose his nerve, he knocked on the door.

Hermione answered it before his arm even returned to his side.

"Can I come in?" he asked after a moment of them just staring at one another.

She nodded and stepped back to let him pass, closing the door gently behind her. "Did you at least get a key card for you room in case they abandon you again?" she asked.

"I'm not going back with them."

Her eyes widened and she placed a hand on her hip. "That was presumptuous."

He grinned awkwardly and he was sure his cheeks were pink. "I didn't mean it like that," he said. "I apologize."

She tipped her head to the side. "Then what _are_ you doing here, Draco?"

He took a deep breath before he answered her. "For the past year I have been a shell of myself. I knew that my parents had arranged my marriage with Astoria and that we would be wed shortly after she graduated. Purebloods marry to better their status and bank accounts, not for love, but I was lucky and found friendship in her and eventually love.

"I wasn't expecting any of that, but I got it. I felt like I didn't deserve it because of all the of things I had done. But Astoria constantly tried to change my outlook on life. And when she told me that she was pregnant, I promised her that I would do better. That I would never put our son in the position my father put me in. That my son would never grow up in the world that I did.

"Then she got sick and everything happened so fast. She hadn't even begun to show before she was bedridden. She only told me of the blood curse when she knew there would be no time for anything else, saying that her only regret was that our son wouldn't get to see this new world I had spoken of.

"She made me promise her that I wouldn't stop trying to change and that I would find happiness again because, even on her death bed, she believed in me."

Hermione had moved her arms over her chest and rubbed her biceps. She was staring at him with a strange expression, but she didn't try to interrupt.

"I didn't realize how much I loved her until she was gone. I spent nearly the first six months in bed mourning them. It took my mother going to St. Mungo's for me to finally get up. After that, my friends always had something planned for me and barely left me alone. As irritating as it was, I'm glad they did it. I was slowly starting to not feel so listless anymore. But there was this large part of me that was gone and I didn't think I would ever find it again.

"Then, here I am, half a world away from home and Hermione fucking Granger of all people comes and saves me from myself," he said with a smile that she returned. "You could have left me to my own devices and allow the consequences to take effect. You should have; by all rights, I don't deserve any of the kindness you've shown me today, but I'm sure as Hell grateful for it.

"I thought I was going to continue being empty forever, but after waking up with you this morning, the emptiest I've ever felt was when you closed that door on me moments ago." He paused to take a deep breath and raked a hand through his hair. "I have felt more like myself than ever before since this morning. And I'm not just talking about when Astoria was around; I'm talking of the Draco Malfoy that existed before the war. The good parts anyway."

"There were good parts?" she chimed in, smirking at him.

He grinned right back at her and took a step forward. "My point, _Granger_ , is that I'll never get over Astoria. She snuck up on me was gone far too soon. But if her death has taught me anything, it's that when something makes you feel whole, you shouldn't waste any time. You should grab onto it immediately and hold on until it's over; for however long that is."

He reached out for her and cupped her jaw with one hand. She trembled lightly at his touch, but didn't move. Instead, she angled her head up just enough to look at him, her lips turned up into a barely there smile. "Draco-"

"I realize we barely know each other. That all those years of being the prat that I was isn't something you can forgive or forget easily and probably shouldn't, but I can't ignore what I feel." He paused to let his other hand fall to her hips, pulling her closer. "Tell me you don't feel the same, Hermione. Tell me you feel nothing at all and I'll walk away right now."

She blinked a few times before her lips parted, but whatever it was that she had to say, she thought better of it and closed her lips again. He smiled stiffly and detached himself from her, moving back. He gave a nod and then stepped around her and made way for the door.

"I still think it was rather presumptuous of you to-"

He grinned the moment she started speaking as he whirled back around to her and silenced her by sliding his mouth over hers. She smiled against him and he wound his arms around her. "You can berate me all you want later," he promised, pulling back enough to look at her. "But tonight, you are going to let me feel you up."

She laughed and he tucked a few curls behind her ear. "That's all you want to do tonight?"

His eyes widened at that and his hand paused behind her ear. When he saw the glimmer of mischief in her chocolate eyes, he narrowed his gaze at her. "Cheeky witch."

She continued to laugh as he kissed her again, the sound quickly turning into a moan as he slipped his tongue past her parted lips to taste her. The hand that was hovering near her ear had slipped back into her hair, cupping the back of her head; her arms had wound around his shoulders.

He pushed forward, walking them towards the bed behind her. As they went, their hands moved in a flurry as they pulled at each other's clothes. By the time they reached the bed, Draco was stepping out of his pants and yanking his shirt over his head. Hermione had was shimmying out of her shirt and bra as well when he tossed his to the floor.

He reached for her, unabashedly ogling her bare chest freely. She was smirking when his gaze lifted to meet hers again. He reversed them so that he could sit on the bed and pulled her close until she was standing between his legs. He looped one arm around her, steeling it up her back as his other hand reached up to cup one of her breasts, guiding the taut nipple into his mouth.

She arched into him and tipped her head back, moaning softly. Her hands went to the back of his head to hold him even closer. He smirked around her as he alternated between swirling the bud with his tongue and nipping it with his teeth. Then he moved to pay equal attention to her other breast before trailing kisses down her abdomen.

She shivered as his hands moved to the waistband of her knickers. His fingers slowly hooked around the fabric and began to pull down, kissing as far as his body would allow him to. He let them fall the rest of the way to the floor and she stepped out of them. She the reached for his boxers and helped him get out of them as well.

He was expecting to pull her onto the bed with him, but Hermione had other ideas. She surprised him by dropping to her knees before him and taking him into her mouth in the time it took him to blink. He hissed and groaned when one of her hands came up to shove at his chest, forcing him to lie back on his elbows.

He bit his lip and watched her through hooded eyes as her head bobbed up and down, her tongue moving against him expertly. She worked him with her hand as well, moving in tandem with her mouth. Everything about this moment was too good to be true. The image would be burned into his mind until the day he died.

But he knew if she didn't stop soon, he was going to come before they even really got started.

He reached down and thread his fingers through her curls, tugging slightly until she lifted her head, releasing his cock with a _pop_. The sight made him groan and his cock twitched, trying to get back into her mouth. She smirked and got to her feet, gesturing for him to move back.

He laid himself by the pillows and watched as she crawled up the bed to straddle him. He gripped her hips and rolled, pinning her beneath him. He captured her lips with his and slid his hand down the length of her body until his fingers sank into her core. He moaned at how wet she was and wasted no time in slipping his middle finger into her body. She moaned into his mouth and adjusted to open herself up more for him.

He added his index finger, crooked them, and then placed his thumb on her clit as well. The frequency of her moans increased as well as the volume. The sound was like music to his ears; a song he wanted to listen on repeat until the end of time. Not only was she vocal, but her body was responsive as well. She constantly moved beneath him as he brought her closer to the edge.

Her hand sought out his cock and she began to pump at him while he pleasured her. She pulled her lips from his in order to grind her head against the pillows, but she surprised him by keeping her eyes open and locked with his. " _Draco_ , I'm-"

Her words died on her tongue as she cried out for him. A fresh spurt of slick coated his fingers as her inner walls clutched at them, trying to draw him in further and keep him there. He continued his ministrations until she released her hold on him and then he positioned himself between her thighs. He leaned in, caging her head between his forearms and kissed her sweetly. She reached between them and lined him up to her core. He pushed forward, both of them groaning with pleasure at the same time as he filled her to the brim.

He stilled to let her body adjust to him, half expecting his mind to be wracked with guilt. When he was glad to find that there was nothing of the sort, he moved his hips into a pace that was sure to allow their pleasure to build slowly instead of ending things too soon.

Her hands stroked his sides and his back, her nails digging in her and there. Her hips rose to meet his thrusts every time and he leaned in to kiss her from time to time, panting for air the rest of it. At one point, he pulled away, sitting back on his knees. He hooked his arms under hers and rocked his hips, never slowing his pace. Her hands raked at his chest as her inner walls began to tighten again.

"Fuck," he hissed, his movements beginning to sputter. "You're tightening up."

"I'm coming," she moaned, her nails digging into his chest.

Neither one of them needed further encouragement. He continued to slide in and out of her until she crested and then he followed her with his own release, burying himself to the hilt inside of her. His cock twitched as he filled her and after a moment, he collapsed on top of her. They panted for air as they clung to one another and when he slipped out of her, he slid to her side, drawing her into his arms as he went. If their slick coming out of her while they laid together in the after bothered her, she didn't let it show. He placed a kiss to the top of her head as her hand grazed his chest idly.

Neither one of them knew how long this would last. Maybe she was only interested in it being a one-time thing for the night and maybe she wanted something long term. Draco knew he wanted as much time as she was willing to give him and that they would discuss it in the morning. Content with the way things were at that exact moment in time, they dozed off in each other's arms, ready to take on whatever the future held in store for them.


End file.
